1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for telecommunications having automatic network adaptations and silent downloading of data, such as out-going transmission cost rate information.
2. Description of Related Art
With the deregulation of telephone-telecommunications (hereinafter "telecom") common carriers and the escalating use of computer generated transmissions, such as electronic mail, video, and the like, over the telecom networks, the number of providers and price competition between them has created a conundrum for the end-user. Regularly, the user is challenged to change to a cheaper long distance provider for out-going transmissions (also referred to hereinafter as "calls"), yet the local service provider charges for each change in long distance service provider, making a change of long distance provider an inconvenient and costly transaction. Moreover, as is well known, out-going transmission charges, such as the common telephone call, vary according to the distance between caller and call destination, the time of day and the day of the week that the out-going transmission is placed, the duration of each call, the frequency of usage, new-user or day/month-based special rate promotional offerings, and the like.
In order to provide callers with some semblance of control, telephone call time and cost monitoring devices and stand-alone, least-cost routing devices have been created. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,308 issued on Oct. 24, 1978 to Weinberger et al. for a Telephone Call Metenng Device, a telephone accessory device monitors the cost of a telephone call at the location of the calling telephone, continually maintaining real-time billing displays to provide an accurate indication of the cost of the call. Tie line diversion to minimize the cost of a call to a specified telephone number on a tie line network is described. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,769 issued May 21, 1996 to Weinberger et al. for a Method and System for Updating a Call Rating Database, a calling station, having a provided rating device including a modem, must place a call to the rate provider at a predetermined date and time when an updated database of rate parameters can be downloaded to the rating device. A purchaser of the device and provider service relies on the currently stored database to ensure that the least-cost route is chosen when making a call. In a Weinberger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,085 issued on Jun. 13, 1995 for a Least Cost Routing Device for Separate Connection into Phone Line, an apparatus is required to interconnect between the phone line coming into the facility and each phone within the facility; the apparatus routes telephone calls along a least-cost route originating therefrom using the database describe in co-filed U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,769, supra. A commercial product known as the "PhoneMiser.TM." by MediaCom company and commercially available through Egghead.TM. Computer stores appears to implement the Weinberger scheme in a computer/telephone operating environment.
There is a need for a telecommunication apparatus and method of operation being self-sufficient, automatically attuned to least cost routing, and providing advanced automated features that do not require user implemented processes.